ZACH MATARI—Montville, NJ
So, when I was working for SLP Concerts, a local concert promoter, I would get calls from the mother of this week’s feature artist Zach Matari. Zach’s mother would consistently call me to try to get her son on some of the pop shows we were promoting. I never thought to give Zach a listen to feature him in this column because I always wanted to keep this column about the rock, but in keeping an open mind, I finally gave North Jersey singer/songwriter, Zach Matari a listen, and thought he was pretty good. I mean in the pop world; I would have to say he’s Justin Timberlake good. I listened to his songs “Mirror”, “When the Levee Breaks” and “Up to You” and thought his voice was amazing. His songwriting ability was also pretty stellar.
Independent singer-songwriter Zach Matari, known for his most recent single “Mirror,” gained popularity as his viral-hit broke barriers, lyrically addressing body image positivity and body confidence. “Mirror,” released back in October, was written by Zach as a request from BitesizedFitness to be performed at their “Positive Body Image Fashion Show” promoting inclusion within the fashion industry. An avid anti-bullying advocate, Zach Matari felt strongly about the opportunity to use his art and voice to spread awareness about the cause. The video for “Mirror” garnered over 15 million views on social media grabbing the attention of mainstream media outlets including: Huffington Post, Yahoo, AOL, Women’s Health, MTV, SELF, Cosmopolitan and many more around the world. Matari, originally a North Jersey resident, released his first original EP, Day One in March 2016, which premiered at No. 5 on the iTunes R&B charts. His singles, “Up To You” and “When The Levee Breaks” won best R&B and LOVE song for The John Lennon Song Writing Contest. Zach Matari has been touring across the country sharing the stage with artists like Ellie Goulding, Fetty Wap, Ziggy Marley, Fifth Harmony, Mario, R5, Sabrina Carpenter and Jacob Whitesides, which helped him gain much recognition within the music industry as his fan base continues to grow.
In his attempt to give back to the community, Zach Matari is an active member of Musicians on Call, bringing the healing power of music to children’s hospitals around the country, offering live, in-room performances to patients undergoing treatment. Utilizing the freedom of social media to connect with his fans, Matari keeps subscribers up to date with musical covers, remixes and new releases on his YouTube channel, posting weekly content every Monday as part of the Matari Mondays series. Matari says “Ultimately, life is the best gift we could ever receive and good music is a blessing. I’ve been passionate about music since I was able to talk and have a deep appreciation for all genres. Music is my life expressed through songs.” Maybe I should have paid more attention when this kid’s mother used to call my office every day because this kid is going to be a big pop star. Catch Zach Matari live at the Debonair Music Hall in Teaneck, NJ this Saturday night (8/18). For more info on Zach Matari or to find out where he’s playing next, visit ZachMatari.com.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
My bud and former Mean Venus bandmate, Adrian Freyre has a new band that he’s ecstatic about, and it’s called One With Machine. Adrian is playing guitar and singing lead vocals in this band, which something new for Age. He was always a guitar player who sang backing vocals. Well, now he’s taking the lead in One With Machine consisting of guitarist Mike Million, bassist Al Lugo and drummer Scott Chiocchi. The band recently released their debut single “Dreaming in Black,” which can be heard at Reverbnation.com/thebeginning3.
My bud, Angry Jay North recently posted on Facebook that his band Darkness Descends is putting the finishing touches on their upcoming four-song EP at Red Shift Studios along with a few music videos to be released really soon. Maybe by the end of the summer. I can’t wait to hear new music from Darkness Descends For more info on the upcoming Darkness Descends EP, visit Facebook.com/NJDarknessDescends.
And finally, my Killcode brothers will be direct support for Dee Snider at The Space in Westbury Theater in Westbury, NY on September 12. Killcode and Dee Snider share the same management making this the perfect match. Newly shorn Tom Morrissey and the new Killcode music video for their song “Show Me” will be showing up on the band’s YouTube channel soon. For more info on upcoming Killcode dates and news on the band, visit Killcode.net.
That’s all for now! If your band is from North Jersey, and you want some exposure, send your press kits to Arts Weekly, c/o Tim Louie P.O. Box 1140, Little Falls, NJ 07424, or you can email me at tim@theaquarian.com, where you can also let me know where you’re performing next!
Just remember…We’re all in the same boat, so every little bit of exposure counts!
Tim Louie is the Author of S**t Happens.
NJN Concert Calendar:
8/15—Eyes Set To Kill/Dayshell/Awake At Last/Vexes—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/16—Crypt Keeper 5/Nine Eighteen/Chris Skel Band/Brian Rothenbeck + the Adventuring Party—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
8/17—Sean Tobin—The Stanhope House, Stanhope, NJ
8/17—Tantric/Answer Infinity/Under Blood Red Skies—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/18—Sean Tobin—Red Fox Beach Bar and Grill, Seaside Park, NJ
8/18—Zach Matari/Soapbox Sound/The Happy Fits—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
8/18—Fuel/Ropetree/The Revel/New Theory/Views Into Vastness—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
8/19—Monument of a Memory/Among The Thorns (EP Release Show)/TheWarWithin/It Gets Worse/Call of Sirens/For Those Who Can See/Acrolein—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/22—Sean Tobin—Dublin Pub, Morristown, NJ
8/23—Arsenic—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/23—Mutant Daisies/C.R. & The Degenerates/The Big Swim/Smock—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
8/24—Out of Bounds/Corey Glover—Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
8/24—Black Water Rising/Ascending from Ashes/Black Dawn/Alyxx/Pitch Black Sunrise—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/26—September Mourning/Kaleido/Charcoal Tongue/Libricide/Horriblyright—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
8/31—Morningside Lane/Our Fears (CD Release)—Debonair Music Hall, Teaneck, NJ
8/31—Sideslam/Spice Weasel/The Neverends/The Sugar Skull Gypsys—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
